June 2026 will mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of John Constable. It is time to celebrate what he gained from Salisbury as an artist – and the legacy he left us in Salisbury. Anne Lyles, a distinguished art historian will talk about the influence of Salisbury on the later artistic development of John Constable.
The talk will begin at 7.30pm, preceded by drinks from 7pm.
Ticket price: £20 (£15 for SCCPS members) to include drinks.
To purchase tickets: www.ticketsource.co.uk/salisbury-cathedral-close-preservation-society
Many of Constable’s paintings, such as Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows (the “Rainbow” painting) and The Haywain are part of our national culture. His reputation as a landscape artist is of international stature. Hence the acquisition by museums such as the Frick in New York of the View of Salisbury Cathedral from the Bishop’s Grounds.
Constable’s links with Suffolk are well-known. It is closely associated with his family and the start of his career as an artist. What is much less well-known is the key role played by Salisbury – and particularly the Close – in his later development. During his stays with Archdeacon Fisher at Leaden Hall in 1820 and 1829 he produced a large and ground-breaking body of work comprising at least sixteen paintings and sketches and including Salisbury Cathedral and Leadenhall from the River Avon and Salisbury Cathedral and Lower Marsh Close.
Anne Lyles, an expert on John Constable, who was, until 2012, Curator (18th and 19th Century British Art) at Tate Britain, will talk about the ways in which his extended stays at Leaden Hall contributed to the progress of his art; the importance of Archdeacon Fisher in supporting his career and building his reputation and how the views captured by Constable are not only historically valuable but also contribute to the understanding of his work and of the Salisbury landscape.
We are very lucky because, unusually, much of this landscape survives today.